


Last Man Standing

by Lordofthenerds



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, Sherlock (TV)
Genre: BAMF John, BAMF Molly, Extreme angst, M/M, You Have Been Warned, john is awesome, seriously
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-03-13 22:53:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3399260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lordofthenerds/pseuds/Lordofthenerds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John had had a normal life, as normal as he could be living in District 12, but all of that is changed by a little slip of paper, John soon finds himself in a place where caring can only end in death, and yet he can't help himself when it comes to the strange tribute from District 2. Now he has to fight for his life in an Arena while trying to figure out what is really going on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello people, this is my first time on ao3 so I hope you like it!!!

  By the time John woke up, the house was already a bone chilling cold. The golden embers in the beat-up old fireplace were the only evidence of a fire from the night before. It gave off a feeble,

flickering light and no warmth at all. John stretched weakly, hand groping the other side of the bed in the vain hope of finding another presence there. He finally gave up after a few seconds

and sat up with a sigh, scrubbing feebly at his eyes with the heels of his hands, he looked around the room in search of the sad human-shaped lump he knew would be on the floor. Said lump

twitched as his sock covered feet hit the ground with a soft thump. John padded across the floor as softly as he could, ever wary of the sleeping form of his sister on the floor. He crossed the

room throwing a wool shirt over his head as he walked, and at the door of the dreary house, slipped into a pair of well-worn leather boots, long since moulded to the shape of his feet. He

opened the worn wooden door with a soft creek and strolled out into the early morning.

                                                                                                                                  OoOoOoOo

    This was always John’s favorite time of the day. No one was up this early, everyone in the district trying to cling onto the few blessed moments of sleep before having to wake up and face

the harsh reality that was this dreary life. Where empty stomachs and dying children were a common occurrence. The miners had not yet risen to descend into the black-coated coal mines and

the silence hung over the district like a heavy cloud of fog. John made his way along the edge of the district looking for the hole in the electrified fence that he had long since memorized

the location of.

        Ducking under it he began to lightly jog towards the line of trees in the distance. He started to run faster the closer he got to the trees, a smile finally spreading along his face, seemingly

taking off 10 years from his age, making his features appear boyish and joyful. Harry had often said when they were younger that the only time that John looked truly alive was when he was in

the woods. He stopped only briefly to retrieve a small sack of hunting knives from a hollowed out tree trunk. Slinging the bag over his shoulder he slowed his pace to a leisurely stroll, not

making a sound despite the autumn leaves coating the forest floor. He had long ago trained himself to walk as silent as a mouse no matter what he was walking on.

Eventually the thick forest thinned out into a peak over looking a valley. John’s smile grew as he drew near a boulder on top of the peak. Clambering over the rock, he dropped down into the

little shaded alcove the boulder created.

“Happy Reaping day eh Doc?”

The “Doc” in question looked up at the girl standing right in front of him. Short blonde hair cut at her shoulders, a thin lithe body fit from running in the woods, and a small roundish face,

Mary Morstan. Mary had been his hunting partner since he started to hunt in the woods on the edge of the district four years ago. The two of them were thick as thieves and would do anything

for each other.

“Happy Reaping day to you too, Mary.”

Mary smiled and plopped down in the small space beside him.

“So you going to volunteer this year, family glory and all that.”

Mary said knocking her shoulder against his. John just laughed. It was unheard of for someone from District 12 to volunteer, ever, they didn’t even have a victor to their name in the Victors Village.  
“How many times are you in today.”Mary whispered, her voice taking on a note of worry.

“Sixty-four, why?”

“Sixty-four?! John, how did you get so many?”

John looked down at his lap avoiding Mary’s sky blue eyes. Mary looked at him with a sigh.

“John you can’t keep on taking terasse for your patients, you’ll end up in the arena at this rate.”

“Better me than them, Mary, they’re poor what else can I do, I can’t just sit there and watch as they slowly starve to death when I could do something about it!”

Mary watched him with sad eyes, she sighed once again in resignation then averted her gaze to where her hands were fiddling in her lap.

“I just don’t want to see you get hurt John, you are too selfless for your own good, you already have you and Harry to take care of, why do you think it is your responsibility to care for everyone

else in the district.”

John looked at her, his sea blue eyes bore into hers with an intensity she had only seen when John was either holding a knife or a scalpel in his hand.

“I’m a doctor Mary, or I will be, it is my responsibility to take care of my patients.”

“John if this is about your parents there was nothing you could have-“

John stood up abruptly, slinging the sack of knives over his shoulder as he walked.

“Goodbye Mary I will see you this afternoon.”

“John wait I didn’t mean it like that, John!”

John ignored the protests and strode determinedly through the woods, never once looking back.

                                                                                                                                             OoOoOo

By the time John got back from the woods his mood hadn’t improved one bit, and coming home to a drunk, passed out sister on the floor wasn’t helping his mood. John strode over to the

blanket covered lump on the floor and non to gently tapped it with his foot.

“Up Harry! It’s Reaping day, come on we have to be in the square in a couple hours.”

The lump on the floor gave a very loud groan and rolled over.

“Let’s go or I will have to pour water on you again!”

“A’ight a’ight, ‘m up, happy.”

“Very, now come on, let’s go, I already put out your dress for you.”

Harry rose from the floor, the blanket pooling into a puddle of wool at her feet. She had the look of someone who could have been beautiful once, but stress and pain seemed to be

permanently etched into the lines of her face. She was a little bit shorter than John and quite a bit paler. Her eyes sunk into her skull slightly and her skin hung off her too-thin frame giving her

a sickly appearance. She looked over at the dress hanging off of one of the worn down chairs near the kitchen table.

          John turned away from the sad sight of his sister and walked over to the kitchen table fiddling with the assortment of plants and medical instruments that were strewn across it. He had

been taught since a very young age how to be a healer. It was what his father had done as an occupation and he had been training John to take his place ever since he could walk. After his

father had passed away from the same sickness that had taken his mother mere months before, John had taken over the family business and was now just as accomplished at seventeen than

the doctor in town. Most people in the Seam knew of him and his business and would come to him for medical services. Mary had often said he was a walking contradiction. A hunter and a

doctor, a healer and a killer. John was well known throughout the entire district. Not just for his healing skills. Mary had been hunting with him since before his parents had died. They were a

well known hunting pair and often even the finer parts of town would buy some of their kill.

John was shaken from his trance as Harry put a hand on his shoulder.

“You alright Jonny?”

John looked over at his sister, “I wasn’t the one passed out on the floor all night.”

Harry chuckled weakly and ruffled his hair affectionately. “Don’t you worry about me Jonny boy, just get through today and then we’ll do something special tonight.” Harry mussed his hair one

last time before walking over to the other side of the room.

“After all this is the last time you will have to go through Reaping day huh? If that isn’t something to celebrate then I don’t know what is.”

John smiled weakly, knowing full well that celebrating for Harry meant opening one of the bottles of liquor stored in the cabinet under the sink.

“Come on Harry we have to get to the square.”  
                                                                                                                                          OoOoOo  
             Reaping day was quite possibly John’s least favorite day of all time. Closely followed by the days of the Hunger Games, but John hated Reaping Day even more simply because you

know the people that walk up onto that stage won’t make it back. It is like leading a pig to slaughter. There is nothing you can do to stop it and the worse part is the stupid people in the

Capitol act like it is an honor to die in an arena of dying kids.

John was not only a healer in one of the poorest districts but he was also a hunter, he was accustomed to death but that didn’t make watching the Hunger Games any easier. He walked as if in

a daze. Lost in his own thoughts, oblivious to the worried looks that Harry was shooting his way. His last year, after this John would be old enough to no longer be eligible for the Hunger

Games. Harry was already free at 21 years old she had nothing to worry about. Right before John went to get registered Harry pulled him aside to the end of the line.

            “Alright John last year no worries right, after today you’re free.”

Harry smiled weakly at him and nodded her head once. John tried to smile back but it mostly came out as a grimace. Harry walked away to over where the parents were standing and with one

last glance John turned to get registered. Jennifer Wilson, the escort of District 12 was already on the stage by the time John had gotten registered. This year her outrageous Capitol outfit

consisted of a bright pink dress with matching high heeled shoes. John rolled his eyes when he saw her outfit. Jennifer Wilson was the stereotypical Capitol person, with bright neon clothes,

make-up and a clipped Capitol accent to match. Plus an enthusiasm for the games the president himself couldn’t beat.

            “Hello everyone and welcome to the 78th annual Hunger Games!! And may the odds be ever in your favor.”

John glanced over to where he knew Mary would be standing, their eyes met and they exchanged an eye roll. This routine was repeated almost every year without fail, Mary and John never

missed a chance to mock her for it either.

            “As always ladies first,” She walked over to the giant glass ball full of thousands of tiny slips of paper. Slipping her hand into the opening on the top she let her hand pause dramatically

right above the slips of paper, before snagging one and walking back to the center of the stage.

           “And the tribute for the girls is… Molly Hooper!” John felt his face pale a little bit, he knew her. Not well but Molly was the daughter of the Healer that used to work with his dad in the town.

            Molly was often who he went to if he needed supplies. He searched the girls area of the square looking for a small, shy girl with mousy brown hair. He finally spotted her being lead up

the stage by two peacekeepers. She was shaking visibly and it looked like all of the blood had drained from his face. She marched up the steps slowly and walked to the middle of the stage.

Jennifer clapped her hands excitedly before moving across the stage to the other glass ball, “And now for the boys,” Jennifer repeated the process of hovering her hand over the slips of paper

before snagging one and walking back to the microphone.

  
          “And the male tribute for the 68th annual Hunger Games is… John Watson!!”


	2. The Slip of Paper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I had this grand idea of posting once every week which went spectacularly awful so sorry sorry sorry, I will try to post more often now, but school is almost over so the posts should come more often now, thank you to anyone who actually reads this and again I beg you for reviews even if you hate it because I would love your ideas or tips. Ok I will stop now bye enjoy reading!!

 

    John’s ears began ringing, he couldn’t hear anything. He glanced over to where Mary was standing and saw probably the same expression that was currently on his own face. Pure 

unadulterated shock. He was supposed to be safe, this wasn’t supposed to happen, Harry needed him, Mary needed him, all of his patients needed him. This couldn’t be happening. 

    John was grabbed by two peacekeepers and lead up onto the stage. He strode across the stage, his feet making a solid _thunk thunk thunk_ on the floor. He walked over to stand by Molly his 

eyes pointedly avoiding Harry’s and Mary’s in the crowd, looking instead at a couple    birds flying across the sky. John tried to maintain a straight face, holding back sadness and shock, 

instead keeping a stoic face that held no emotion. 

    “Let’s give one last round of applause for this years lucky tributes, Molly Hooper and John Watson!” 

    The crowd was completely silent, it was almost as if the entire district was mourning them. For the first time since his name had been called John lowered his eyes to the crowd and met his 

sister’s eyes. They were as wide as saucers and full of tears. John quickly looked away knowing that if he looked at her anymore then he would not be able to keep a straight face, and crying 

on national TV wouldn’t earn him any points at this stage of the Games. 

    John was lead off the stage by two peacekeepers and taken to a small room with soft leather couches and small wooden chairs. He walked over to one of the couches and promptly 

collapsed into the leather, his knees finally giving out. For a while the doctor sat silently and waited, his mind eerily quiet and calm. 

    The door creaked open softly to reveal his very disheveled sister. He stood up and walked over to her enveloping her into his arms. She collapsed against him, sobbing into his shoulder. He 

shushed softly in her ear, rubbing his hands softly across her back, trying desperately to calm her down. 

    “Hey, hey it will be alright Harry, you’ll be alright, shh calm down.”

    “You were supposed to be safe, you were going to be ok, this wasn’t supposed to happen.” Harry finally pulled her head out of his shoulders and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. 

    “Aren’t you supposed to be the one breaking down crying, you are going to your death after all.” 

    “Well if both of us are crying it would be pretty hard to say goodbye don’t you think.”

Harry looked up at him, eyes welling up with tears again.

    “You shouldn’t have to say goodbye,”

John tucked her head down into his shoulder again and began to whisper in her ear. 

    “You’re going to be fine, you’re going to be fine, shh relax. You will be safe I promise, you don’t need me. I’ll be fine Harry but you have to promise me something.” John pulled back from 

her and lifted her chin up with his finger. 

    “You gotta promise me Harry that whatever happens in the Area that you won’t watch it, ok, promise me that.” She nodded once a single jolt of the head before speaking in a whisper. 

    “Fine, but you have to promise me something too, don’t die, you have a good chance John, don’t give up, you are probably one of the few people who has medical training going into the 

Arena plus you know how to kill things, you could win John.” 

    He nodded his head along with Harry, even though he knew it was hopeless. It was just her way of coping, people from district 12 rarely ever won the games, and although he could nail a 

squirrel between the eye with a bow or a knife that wasn't the same as nailing a person in the eye. John knew there was no hope, he would die in that Arena, but he said nothing instead 

choosing to keep silent and comfort his sister. 

    They stayed like that, their arms wrapped around each other, desperately trying to memorize the feel of the other, trying to commit to memory the only family both of them had left. The 

peacekeeper came to them just as they were pulling apart. Harry glanced over at the peacekeeper and then down at her hand. She pulled off the ring that sat on her right hand. 

    “Take this, for your token, good luck little brother, remember your promise.” And with one last look Harry left the room, leaving John standing in the middle absentmindedly stroking the 

ring. He looked down at it, glimmering in his palm. It had been their mother’s ring. A small sapphire sat in the middle of the gold band, shimmering giving off the illusion of ocean waves 

beating against golden sand. It was the only thing that their mother had owned of worth.

    John looked up as the door opened again, revealing Mary’s grim face. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted before he could even get a word out. 

    “No don't speak, I don’t have much time so listen.” Mary paused slightly to take a small breath. “You could win John, I know you, I know what you can do, you can hunt better than anyone 

in  the district, and everyone knows your the best doctor in this sorry place,” Mary fixed him with a fiery glare, “I know you,” she repeated, “I know you are doubting you could win, I know you 

think that all of this is just false hope, but I am serious John you could win this.” Mary stopped unable to go on because of the tears welling up in her eyes. “You have to win, John please you 

have to win.” John walked over to her and enveloped her into his arms, just as he had done with Harry.

    “Alright I promise I will try to win, watch over Harry would you?” John felt her nod her head against her shoulder. She pulled back and wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her 

hand. She glanced once more at his face before turning her back on him and walking determinately out the door. 

OoOoOo

    John knew he shouldn’t be, but by the time the peacekeepers came to collect him, he was completely and undeniably bored. No one else had come to visit him to say goodbye. There was 

no one else, John had no one left. He was lead slowly to the train, flanked by two peacekeepers he walked onto the polished platinum train. 

    When John walked onto the train he was almost positive his jaw dropped completely open. Never before had he seem anything so nice. Polished mahogany tables covered in an assortment 

of food and drinks, beautiful chandeliers hung down over the tables, and plush couches and armchairs sat on the edges of the room. 

He stared around the room for a good five minutes before getting violently shoved from behind. He turned around just in time to prevent Molly from falling. 

    “Oh gosh I’m so sorry!”

    “It’s alright, you ok?” 

    Molly wordlessly nodded as John took in her appearance. Her clothes were slightly rumpled, her eyes were ringed with red, and there were clear tear tracks along her cheeks. Molly did the 

same thing to him, taking in his also rumpled appearance, but his completely dry cheeks and clear eyes. They stared at each other for a few minutes before John cleared his throat awkwardly 

before turning away to once again look at the amazing sight of the room. 

    “Well what do we do now?”

    Molly shrugged her shoulders, chuckling slightly. They’re eyes met for a few seconds and then they were dissolving into giggles. Maybe it was the ridiculousness of the situation, maybe it 

was the nerves, maybe it was both, but both he and Molly laughed harder than they had in years. There wasn't much to laugh about in District 12, and as John’s chuckles finally subsided he 

felt strangely carefree. Somehow lighter than before, suddenly the Games didn’t seem so bad, at least he could spend his last days in comfort. 

    He said goodbye to Molly a few minutes later and went to explore the rest of the train. He didn’t see anyone else on the train that he recognized, he saw some of the Avoxes standing by 

waiting to be called. John couldn’t say he wasn’t interested in them. His inner Healer wanted to know how exactly they cut out the tongue, but he tried to ignore that part of him. He explored 

the train for what felt like hours before finally finding one of the living quarters that must be his. 

    Much like the rest of the train it was incredibly posh, and huge. It was bigger than John’s entire house back in District 12 with a king sized bed covered with soft silk covers and 

embroidered pillows that probably could feed a family in the Seam for a month if sold. In all John felt very out of place. He was almost afraid to touch anything for fear of breaking it. 

    He sat carefully on the edge of his bed and watched the world zoom by outside the window, absentmindedly fiddled with his ring, spinning it around and around on his finger, trying to not 

think about the days to come, or how he probably only had a week left to live. Instead he thought about his sister. How by now she had probably already drunk herself into a drunken stupor, 

and was now passed out on the floor just as she had been just this morning. Was it really just this morning? It seemed like years ago. just this morning he had been safe, he didn’t have to 

worry about how he might die in a few days, or that even worse he might actually have to kill someone. 

    By the time John was called for dinner he had almost driven himself crazy with his own thoughts and his finger had a red band surrounding it from where he had rubbed his ring. There was 

a knock at his door again jolting him out of his thoughts. God when had life gotten so difficult. 

OoOoOo

     Everything bad about the Games suddenly seemed worth it when he saw the dinner table. It seemed as if any food he could think of, and some he couldn’t, was on a long table in the 

middle of the room. The smell made him suddenly realize how hungry he was. He loaded up his plate before plopping down beside Molly, who was drinking a creamy brown colored drink with 

what appeared to be a soft white fluff on top of it. She saw his questioning look and answered, “They call it hot chocolate and whipped cream, it is actually pretty good.” 

     John gave a nod in acknowledgement before surveying his other dinner companion. Jennifer Wilson, she was to be their mentor for the games since the only victors from District 12 were 

long since dead. No wonder no one ever won the Games, Jennifer looked as if she couldn’t lift a dinner knife much less some of the weapons that were used in the Games. John was beginning 

to see what it was that made District 12 lose so bad every year. 

    They ate dinner in a sort of dead silence that none of them felt like breaking. Jennifer pointedly ignoring them choosing instead to “admire” herself inside a little pocket sized mirror. John 

ignored his silent dinner companions in favor for the food. It was like nothing he had ever experienced. There were what felt like hundreds of dishes of soups, salads, goose, duck, beef, 

chicken, a plethora of desserts, and a big cup of hot chocolate, which turned out to be just as good as it smells. 

    By the time that John was done he was the fullest he had ever been in his entire life. Back home there was never enough food to truly be full. Even though John hunts he still has just barely 

enough food for him to sell, and also have enough to feed both himself and Harry. 

    The silence was finally broken as Jennifer lead them to one of the rooms on the train to watch the recaps of the Reapings. Both Molly and Jennifer looked as if they would rather be 

anywhere on the planet than in this room, but John was curious. He wanted to know who he was going up against in the Games. He settled down into the soft leather couch beside Molly just 

as the Capitol symbol showed up on the screen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter should be up soon promise!!! Stay Fantabulous!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Opening ceremony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH.MY.GOD you guys I am so sorry. I don;t know what got into me but I totally forgot about this story, and I feel really bad. I am back though :) And I hope I will be able to update more frequently from now on, but in the meantime I will shut up and let you enjoy the chapter.

The Reapings started the same as they always had. They began with Caesar Flickerman opening with his customary speech about the tributes this year with the head game maker, Seneca Crane, and then slowly showed the tributes starting with One and going to Twelve. John tried to remember all the names but he could only catch a couple that stood out to him. The tributes from One were both ones that as soon as John saw them, he decided to stay away from them at all costs. They had a look in their eyes that seemed almost predatory, as if they were planning the best way to kill you with whatever was in the room. The tributes from Two gave John the same feeling.

The girl almost looked to be a reporter with her posh skirt and heavily made up face. The boy however looked to be something out of a sci-fi novel. With a long, statuesque figure and a sharp, angular face. The boy was clearly intelligent by the look in his eyes. John watched him volunteer with something akin to disgust. The career tributes always made John sick to his stomach. How could someone want this. To go into an arena to kill kids, kids who had no chance, where is the fun in that. John sat back in his seat and watched the rest of the Reapings, his disgust never really waning throughout the whole show. Only a couple of people stood out in his mind after the Careers. There was the boy and girl from 5 who both looked to be smart. The weasel looking boy from 6. The sick looking boy from 10. The pretty brunette girl from 7. And worse of them all the small, terrified looking 12 year old boy from 11.

John watched him with horror as he burst to tears on the stage. He should be at home worrying about homework and friends not worrying about whether he is going to die in the next week. After the small boy whose name John figured out was Henry, he saw the recap of his own Reaping. He saw Molly be called up and then himself. It astonished him about how calm he looked. Almost as if he didn’t care that he was there. Perhaps he shouldn’t think badly of the Careers for being emotionless. Molly was silent beside him when the Holographic TV cut off. “Well looks like it is going to be an exciting year.” Jennifer’s overly cheery voice pierced through the silence. John tried to stay calm as a flood of anger and resentment washed through him. His fists clenched and he had to refrain from turning around and screaming at her. Instead he stood quickly and strode out of the door, a determined snap to his stride.

OoOoOo

He walked through the train not paying attention to where his feet were leading him, instead he tried to calm his raging mind. She thought of it as a game, a show, some form of entertainment, something to watch in one’s free time, to place bets on the outcome as if they were nothing more than pawns. John finally entered his room, and out of anger and impulse turned around to the now closed door and smashed his knuckles into the smooth steel again and again, he lost count after ten. By the time he was done taking out his anger on the door his knuckles were bloody and bruised, and his breaths were coming out in short gasps, despite this he felt a lot better then he had felt since his name was called. He strode across the room and collapsed onto the soft, plush bed and waited for his heart to stop trying to burst out of his chest.

He heard a soft knock on the door and looked up to see Molly peaking her head into the room. He plopped back down onto the bed and cover his eyes with the back of his hand.

“Molly, no offense but I really don’t feel like talking at the moment.” Molly ignored him and softly padded into the room and sat on the edge of his bed by his feet.

“John what happened out there, one moment you’re fine and the next you are in your room with bloody knuckles and dents in your door, so what happened?”

John heaved a sigh and once again lifted his arm from his eyes.

“It’s nothing Molls, I’m fine.”

“You know John you really do suck at lying.”

John sighed again and sat up to look at Molly’s face, an expectant expression gracing her fair features.

“It’s just, we’re here, scared out of our minds, fighting for our life, and she thinks of it as what? A game, something to watch for entertainment, something fun.” John spat out the words as if they were poison on his tongue.

Molly scooted closer to him, “You can’t blame her John, she doesn’t know what it is like for us, all her life she has been raised that the games are good, that they are something fun to watch, you can’t blame her for things that were taught to her.” John raised an eyebrow at her,

“Since when did you get to be so philosophical?” Molly laughed, her brown eyes twinkling with happiness.

She knocked her shoulder against his, “I’ve always been this way John.” He smiled at her again and knocked his shoulder back against hers,

“Thank you Molly, for the pep talk, and for everything else.” Molly stood up and padded his shoulder once before exiting the room. John fell back against the soft pillows and closed his eyes letting the train lull him to sleep.

OoOoOoOo

When John woke up he had one blissful moment where he thought he was still back home, where he had a day full of hunting and laughing with Mary, and then yesterday came crashing back down on him. He turned over and took a couple of shaky breaths trying to calm himself down. Finally after a few minutes John pushed himself out of bed and padded across the room to get ready for the day. When Jennifer knocked on the door John felt a lot better than when he had woken up, he walked out of the door of his room and headed straight to the dining room on the train. He refused to look at Jennifer, choosing instead to walk across the room and sit beside Molly. She smiled at him before turning her head back down to her food.

“Alrighty you two, now today we will be arriving at the Capitol today, aren’t you two excited? Now once we get off the train you two will head off straight to the make-over for the opening ceremonies, now I want you two to do what they tell you, they will make you look marvelous I just know it” Jennifer smiled at them as John clenched his fists underneath the table. He saw Molly shoot him a concerned look, and glance down at his clenched fists. John slowly unclenched them watching the fingernail shaped imprints slowly fade out of his palms.

“The stylists have something fantastic planned for the both of you, I know you two will just adore it.” Jennifer sent a sunny smile towards the both of them completely oblivious to John’s stewing anger.

“So no coal outfits this year?” Molly asked hopefully.

The Opening Ceremony was often said to be one of the most important part of the games, it was the first impression the sponsors had of the tributes that year, and often if someone did better in the Opening Ceremony they did better in the games. Yet another reason District 12 always loses, John thought ruefully. There was nothing flattering about being dressed up in coal miner outfits year after year.

“The stylists thought that idea has been pretty overused don’t you think so, I hear they have a wonderful outfit planned.” John almost spit out the mouthful of eggs he had just stuffed into his mouth. No coal miner outfits this year? John could’t help but feel a little bit uneasy about the idea of the stylists being excited about their outfits. The rest of the train ride was filled with a lingering sort of silence. Both John and Molly had moved to the couch that they had sat on the night previous; however both of them didn’t feel like talking. What was there to really talk about anyway? Talking about home was painful, and both of them wanted to forget what lay ahead of them therefore they kept the silence, slightly thankful for its presence.

OoOoOo

When John first saw the Capitol he was quite sure that his jaw dropped to the floor. It seemed like that was happening a lot these days. It was beautiful, stunning. He had never seen anything like it and that was from far away. Just a glimpse from a train window, and yet John couldn’t help but be amazed. As the train pulled into the pristine silver train station John stood by the window gazing out at the crowds gathered around the train station. The people that swarmed around the platform reminded him of insects, constantly buzzing around, chattering idly. They looked a lot like insects too, John thought with a chuckle, the bright exuberant colors and inhuman looking cosmetics. He and Molly spent the next few minutes pointing out the outrageous looking people in the crowd. People with elongated eyelashes, orange hair, and even jewels embedded into the skin on their faces.

The trip off of the train was a blur of pink, blue, and gold, in no time at all John found himself laying on a cold, metal table, while his prep team fluttered around him chattering like brightly colored birds. He ignored most of their chatter only listening when the topic of the Games came up. Apparently the Games this year is going to be an event, they said the president himself had had a say in what the Arena was going to look like. John quickly stopped listening to the conversation after that, choosing to let his mind wander to back home. He wondered if Harry was passed out on the floor of their house, or if Mary was in the woods hunting yet. John felt a pain of longing shoot through his chest. He turned his attention back to the prep team, where they were now talking about the latest fashion. Boring but at least it kept John’s mind off of back home.

They worked on him for hours, cleaning his nails, hair, and skin. Covering up his many scars along his hands and arms from years of hunting and working. Scrubbing away the coal dust that was always present in District 12 off of him, taking a couple layers of skin along with it. By the time they were done John felt as if they had scrubbed him raw, taking everything that made him him and rubbing it away with scented foams and soaps. Leaving him exposed and vulnerable.

After three hours of being manhandled the prep team finally exited through the glass doors leaving John alone in nothing but a robe. He sat on the table, idly stroking his hands in the places where his scars used to be, but were now covered up by a layer of makeup, for what felt like hours before finally the door opened and revealed his stylist. The first thought John had about his stylist is that she looked astonishingly normal for someone of her age and occupation. The woman who entered was old with a kind, open face and weathered hands that spoke of a life not just spent sitting around the capitol. John jumped off of the table a went to meet her.

“Oh hello there dear, my name is Mrs. Hudson.”

“Nice to meet you Mrs. Hudson, I’m John” Mrs. Hudson gave him a wind smile

“Oh I know, now please won’t you sit.” She pointed to a set of chairs in the back of the room. Once they both had sat down Mrs. Hudson took a moment to simply observe John, raking her eyes over his body before coming back up to meet his eyes.

“Now then, your partner’s stylist and I have been talking and we think we know just what to do with you two. Tell me John how do you feel about fire?” A couple hours later found John standing by the horses for his chariot stroking one of their coal black manes. He was dressed in possibly one of the most dangerous costumes ever created. The outfit was simple enough consisting of a pure black jumpsuit and knee high black boots. The dangerous part of the costume was the nearly invisible plastic tubes that covered the jumpsuit and twisted over his exposed skin. Fire, they were going to light their tributes on fire. The only upside that John could find in their costumes is that they were sure to be remembered this year.

John’s attention was drawn away from the horses and to the other tributes with a loud crash. One of the career tributes was striding away from the chariots, his stylist on his heels. John rolled his eyes. Career tributes, they thought they owned the world. John turned back to his horse slowly patting its mane again. He looked up as Molly approached him wearing an almost identical outfit.

“Did you see that.” She said in an excited voice. John raised an eyebrow at him.

“Sherlock Holmes, the tribute from District 2, remember him, yeah he just stormed out, claimed that his stylist was an idiot before refusing to get in the chariot.” John couldn’t help it, he burst out laughing. Yet another reason that he hated the Careers. They didn’t understand that the Games were exactly that, a game, a game with a set of rules that people had to follow or they lost. The Careers were under the illusion that they could somehow win the Games. No one won the Games, the Capital would always beat the, even if someone had won the games they were still practically slaves to the Capital's will.

John shook his head at their ignorance. Molly had walked away to talk to some of the other tributes. John remained by the horses, preferring to keep his head down. He had no intention to meet the people who he would have to kill in a week. Just as the chariots were about to take off the tribute, what had Molly said his name was? Right, Sherlock Holmes came striding back from wherever he had run off from. Just for a second as he was jumping up into his chariot their eyes met. John looked at him in surprise, then he did the only logical thing to do in this situation. He let every single ounce of disgust and amusement at the Career tributes show in his eyes. And John couldn’t lie that he enjoyed the way that Holmes’ eyes widened in surprise. John broke off his gaze instead looked over at Molly and gave her a small smile. he turned his head towards the front just as the carriage gave a lurch and took off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I am so sorry for the ridiculous wait, I hop you can forgive me and please review they mean the world to me. 
> 
> Stay Fantabulous


	4. The chariot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The opening ceremony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey people how is it going? I hope you guys like the chapter!! Next one should be up sometime later this week.

It wasn’t often that John found himself overwhelmed. Riding out into the square however was one of the most overwhelming experiences of his entire life. The trumpets were blaring the Capitol theme, thousands of people in the stands were screaming and all of them were looking at them, and John quite frankly just wanted to cover his ears to drown out all of the sound. He tried to take it all in, but all of the noise was crushing in on him, and they hadn’t even made it outside the doors yet. Molly looked over at him in concern,

“You alright John?” He shook his head wordlessly before tipping his head back and letting a slow breath out through his nose. He looked over at Molly then at the rapidly advancing gates, and before he could second guess himself, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Molly looked at him in shock as the carriage finally burst out into the late afternoon light. John leaned over,

“Just go with it, they’ll love it.”

He shouted over the roar of the crowd. Molly gave him a shy smile before tightening her grip on his hand and raising them both in the air together. It was a strange feeling, having yourself lit on fire. As they neared the middle of the Square John could feel the synthetic fire rush through the plastic tubing, artfully framing both his and Molly’s faces and body’s with fire, could feel the slight tickling sensation of the fake flames licking at his neck and face, and if he was honest with himself, John quite liked the feeling. The response was immediate from the crowd. They began to scream and chant their names over and over again as they rode through the Square, the other tributes all but forgotten by their stunning show.

John caught a glimpse of themselves right as they jolted to a stop in front of the presidents podium. He had to say, both he and Molly looked terrifying, with fire spread across their bodies looking like luminous veins coming up to wrap around their necks and weave into their hair before leaving a fiery trail behind them. John smirked, well there was a way to get the sponsors attention. As the president began to speak both Molly and John dropped their hands, John flashing another smirk towards Molly, who responded with a happy little smile of her own. And as the president gave his customary speech of the year John looked over at the other tributes, most of them were looking at both he and Molly with something akin to shock, awe, or anger, but the tribute from 2, Sherlock Holmes was smirking at him, and as their eyes met he gave John a sly wink before turing his eyes back to the president, the smirk never fading from his face. OoOoOo

John hopped out of the chariot before turing to help Molly out just as their stylists came up to talk to them. Mrs. Hudson came up to hug him before hugging Molly, “

That was excellent you two, oh you looked absolutely stunning, the sponsors won’t be able to resist you now!”

Molly’s stylist, a pretty brunette woman, who for the Capitol looked quite normal, if you ignored the artful tattoos spreading across her arms, nodded along with Mrs. Hudson,“Yes that was quite clever, whose idea was the hand holding?” Molly pointed at John as he sheepishly raised his hand. The stylist nodded her head before offering her hand out to him.

“Janine, good call, stunning with just the slightest touch of rebellion, nice.” Janine gave John a nod before Mrs. Hudson lead them to the elevator, chattering away about how they were going to love their rooms. John had to agree with Mrs. Hudson, the rooms were amazing. Even nicer than the ones on the train. Even one of the stylish bedrooms were twice the size of his house back home in District 12. John bid good bye to Molly before going off to find a a bathroom before dinner.

John had to say, being in the Capitol had a lot of perks, showers were one of said perks. It was almost like standing outside in the warm spring rain, except instead of smelling like rain it smelled like heavily scented perfumes and soaps. John spent a good half hour just standing underneath the spray watching the water slowing wash away all of the make-up that the prep team had layered onto him only a few hours previous. Only when the water had finally fades from a purple and black color back to clear did John step out of the shower, feeling thoroughly washed and refreshed he went through the drawers of a dresser for pajamas. He threw on a pair of silk pajamas just as the door opened to reveal Jennifer telling him it was time for dinner. The doctor padded out of his room behind her and headed over to the dining room. Much like the train, the dining room had a buffet set up of so many foods that John had trouble on choosing what to eat. He finally settled on having a little bit of everything he could pile onto his plate, before wandering over to sit next to Molly at the dinner table.

She raised an amused eyebrow at the sight of his plate before chuckling under her breath and muttering something about boys. John grinned back at her cheekily, glad that she wasn’t as shy as before. John didn’t know Molly well, only ever talking to her if he needed medicine that he couldn’t find in the woods. However the only times he had talked to Molly she had come across really shy, only ever muttering to him and looking down at her feet. Nothing like being thrown into a giant arena together to get someone to open up. John was shaken out of his mussing by Janine clearing her throat.

“Alright you two, now seeing as you don’t have a mentor because there are no victors to District 12, Mrs. Hudson, Jennifer and I will be acting as your sort of fill in mentors. Now we may not be as experienced as some of the other mentors who have been in the Games, but we have been woking for the Games for years, so I am confident that we can come up with a strategy to help you two in there alright?”

John and Molly nodded their heads. John was beginning to like Janine more and more. “Good now first order of business, do you want to be trained together or separately?” John and Molly exchanged glances,

“Separately, why would we want to be trained separately?” John questioned.

“Well say one of you had a secret skill that you didn’t want the other to know about then you would be trained separately.” Molly shook her head,

“No, John and I already know each other pretty well, plus almost everyone in the district knows what John can do and I don’t have any secret talents.” The people at the table all shot Molly confused looks. “What do you mean everyone in the District knows what John can do.” Janine said, her eyes flickering between the two of them.

“Well everyone knows that he is a great doctor, and a lot of the people buy food from him, so most people know that he is the best hunter in the District.” Janine raised her eyebrows at John, looking over him appreciatively. John looked at Molly in shock. He didn’t understand why she was singing him praises, it wasn’t like they were friends or anything, they were just acquaintances. John felt his cheeks grow warm as he looked down at his lap.

“I would’t say I am the best hunter.” John said sheepishly, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. Molly gave him a strange look,

“What do you mean, of course you are.” Molly turned her head back and met Janine’s eyes. “In the eye, all of his kills are in the eye, he never misses, I’ve seen him shoot. Everyone in the District buys from him, even the wealthy people because they know his kills are better than even the butcher can offer.” Molly looked back at John, his mouth agape at the fierce speech that Molly was giving for his skills. Janine opened her mouth to say something but Molly was on a roll now.

“He can hunt, and he can heal people, he knows everything there is to know about plants, and is the person everyone goes to if they are injured, so stop selling yourself short John Watson because everyone knows it’s true!” Molly was breathing heavily by the time she was done, and John along with all of the other people around the table were staring at Molly in varying levels of shock and wariness lest she start to yell again. Molly seemed to come to her senses and realize just how loud she had gotten, she ducked her head, a scarlet blush spreading across her cheeks.

Jennifer was looking at Molly with a slightly shocked look as if she couldn’t believe that she would yell at the dinner table, while both Mrs. Hudson and Janine were looking between John and Molly, pleased smiles were on their faces. John, after a good thirty seconds of staring at Molly as if she was some stranger from an alien planet, cleared his throat and turned back to the other people around the table.

“Molly is a healer too, our parents used to work together, and Molly has the steadiest hands I know.” He said, sending a soft smile in Molly’s direction. Molly replied with her own slightly shy smile. It seemed as if the Molly that had shouted just moments ago, had promptly disappeared once she had finished her speech, being replaced by the Molly that John knew, the soft timid Molly. John would be lying if he said he liked the old Molly better, it was… nice to see Molly start to come out of her shell more even if the timing was slightly less than ideal. John just wished the people back home had gotten to know this Molly. Janine cleared her throat, drawing John’s attention back to their audience.

“Well I am going to guess you guys knew each other before all this hmm?” She cocked an eyebrow. Both Molly and John nodded slowly. “Good, then I think I know the perfect strategy for you two,” Janine leaned forward slightly in her chair, perching her elbows on the table,

“You guys are going to be a team, you are going to train together, eat together, learn together, the whole nine yards, understood. Now what you guys did at the ceremony with the hand holding, brilliant idea by the way, will help reinforce the idea of presenting you two as a team. A force to be reckoned with so to speak. Now for training, I know I am only a stylist but I think I have been working for the games long enough to have an idea or two so, stay away from what you know. John, Molly said your good at hunting so stay away from bows and knives, Molly, John said you are a good doctor, so stay away from the plant section, the goal is to learn something new to help you out in the Games, learn to tie a knot, build a fire, but save the stuff you are good at for the private sessions alright?”

John had to say, for a woman who had never been in the Games before, Janine sure knew what she was talking about. Both John and Molly nodded their agreement, before turing back to their previously forgotten food. John sat in silence as the people around him began to chant about what a phenomenon they had been at the Opening Ceremony. By the time they had finished their meal John had realized just how tired he was and decided to skip the recap of the Ceremony, instead choosing to walk back to his room and promptly collapse into his bed. He was asleep before his head even hit the pillows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you guys think, please please review, I always love what you guys have to say. Even if you hate it I would like to know.   
> Stay Fantabulous!!


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